Teens in state care ask for support to transition to adulthood

Children aging out of state care call for more SA government support In short: Joshua Prosso lived in state care for nearly a decade as a child, but believes he was never equipped with essential skills to succeed in adulthood. He says initiatives to support employment, housing access, income, mobility and essential life skills would assist wards of the state once they turn 18. What's next? A report by the Guardian for Children and Young People has made seven recommendations to improve the state's foster care system. Joshua Prosso spends his free time visiting the graves of relatives he never had the chance to meet. The 19-year-old describes himself as an "amateur genealogist", a fascination born out separation from his family under state guardianship. "It was a whole lot of despair when I realised that there was this whole branch of my close family that had only passed away a few years ago that I'd never heard of, that I never got to meet, and in a way it was because the Department hadn't helped," he said. Mr Prosso spent about eight years in Department for Child Protection (DCP) residential care, much of it in group homes with other young people facing their own trauma. "In a way it felt like psychological torture being in the department, because it felt like I was just locked in a room for years, just banging constantly on my door, yelling at my door," he said. Now, he is advocating for others transitioning out of care, when turning 18 means the end of state guardianship. "I just remember this feeling of just deep emptiness … there was nothing for me to fall back on anymore,"he said. While Mr Prosso was supported to find a subsidised rental property, he said he does not have the same skills as most of his peers. He said the department did not provide him with enough driving lessons for him to get his licence and only received limited schooling. "I went twice a week for a few hours," he said. Now, he is calling on the government to do more to set young people like him up for independence and success. "Making sure they're left with a job, a stable form of income, a capacity to get to places … that they're able to cook, clean, that sort of stuff," Mr Prosso said. Transition to adulthood A recent inquiry by the Guardian for Children and Young People in conjunction with a group with lived experience in state care, including Mr Prosso, made seven recommendations for improvement. Among them were better housing certainty, a clear transition to adulthood framework, continuity of trusted relationships, and support until at least 21 years of age. "I think we have to be really much clearer about if the state is the parent, then what are the services, what are the offerings that the state are willing to provide?" Acting Guardian Sue Macdonald said. "When you assume the parenting role, you can't choose which bits of it you want to perform or you don't." Ms Macdonald said during the inquiry, young people described feeling "a sense of helplessness and hopelessness", like they were "falling off of a cliff edge" when they turned 18. "If you feel like every relationship you've ever had has let you down, it is really difficult to know where to go for help or know how to accept it when it is available," she said. "Young people stay home longer because they can't afford housing, they do rely on the supports of their parents more, but the population of young people in care, that hasn't translated for them. "They are still expected to stand on their own two feet at 18 with very limited support." She added that investing in better support systems would translate into better outcomes for the entire community. "Less presentations to emergency departments, less interactions with the justice system, more goal-directed behaviour in terms of getting a job and education," she said. In a statement, DCP chief executive Jackie Bray said the government had invested in a range of transition and post-care initiatives and was working to further strengthen support. "Supported Independent Living Services provide accommodation and individually-tailored packages to build practical living skills, confidence and independence," the statement read. The statement said the program included support with things like "housing, education, training, employment, health and disability services. "Young people's voices are critical for driving child protection system improvements and informing our daily efforts to ensure our services are meeting their needs." Mr Prosso says change cannot come soon enough. Meanwhile, he said alongside his advocacy work, the research into his ancestry has given him purpose. "I sort of hold a bit more of an admiration for my family, looking at intergenerational trauma patterns," he said.